Assessment of Status: Partially Complete

While the Cooperative Conservation Task Force is dated, there are many venues for routine coordination and communication. These venues include the Federal Interagency Coordination on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR), Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and most recently a task force created with AFWA and the USFWS. While state and federal communication has been a focus, it appears that continued efforts could be made to incorporate tribal wildlife managers.

Supporting documentation and findings

The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

The The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is an example of routine coordination and communication between wildlife managers.

Interview with Kevin Kilcullen USFWS 2.13.13

In an interview with Kevin Kilcullen of the USFWS service, he stated that there is a lot of coordination going on and that the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives are a good venue for coordination. Additionally, refuges 15-year plans are another venue for communication and coordination. Finally, state wildlife actions plans are a state venue that could fold in federal partners.

AFWA and USFWS Letter Regarding Coordination

The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies agreed to establish a small state-federal working group. The goal of the working group is to increase communication between state and federal agencies and tackle opportunities for "quick wins."

The USFWS's Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCC's) have as their mission, "to provide the science and technical expertise needed to support conservation planning at landscape scales..." As part of this effort, LCC's bring together various stakeholders at a cross boundary level to address broader habitat issues. Therefore, LCC's may provide a venue for formal, routine communication and coordination.

The Federal Interagency Coordination on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) was established as a part of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative. One of the roles of FICOR is to coordinate on outdoor recreational opportunities. FICOR includes the US Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA, but does not include state or tribal entities.